Marine safety device.



W. STAFFORD.

MARINE SAFETY DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.10, 1913.

1,096 ,"798. Patented May 12, 1914..

WITNESSES:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

WALTERSTAFFORD, or ROCHES-AINSDA-LE, NEAR sou'rnronr, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 10, 1.913.

MARINE sAnnrY DEVICE.

vPatented May 12, 1914. Serial No. 805,733.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVALTER STArFonD,a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing atRoches-Ainsdale, near Southport, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to marine safety appliances and with regard to certain more specific features thereof, to devices contain ing oil or other liquid adapted to smooth rough'water in certain localities.

One of the objects of the present invention isto provide a simple and practical device of the above character; another object is to provide an inexpensive safety device which will be reliable and eflicient in use.

A further object is to provide a device of the first above-mentioned character, which will be of durable construction, capable of standing hard-use, without becoming accidentally broken; other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the device hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing, whereinis illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the present invention: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the complete device, and Fig. 2 is a planview.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding parts inboth figures.

In order that the nature of the present invention may be more readily understood, it might be noted by way of explanation that, while the effect of oil on rough water has long been appreciated, there has, so far as I am aware, never been devised a practical and efiicient means of dispensing the oil at the desired localities The present invention, therefore,

tools, at the instant of use and thrown'to the desired place where it will be most effective. Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, there is shown a receptacle of spherical shape as it may be more easily handled and offer less resistance to the .wind

relates to a device which maybe easily, and quickly opened, without special when thrown. It is preferably made of fibrous or paper composition or other suit able, light uninfianimable or non-combustiblemater'ml which may be easily punctured when subjected to pressure. If made of fibrous composition it should be treated to render it fireproof and so that it will be unafiected by 'oil therein. This receptacle or ball may be conveniently molded in two halves, the lower one denoted by the numeral 1 being perfectly round and smooth,

while the other, 2, is provided with a plurality of round or elliptical spots 3 which are preferably flat, in order that they may be easily felt in the dark. These spots are thinner than the remaining portions of the ball, whereby they may be more easily broken by the thumb, as indicated in Fig. 2, when grasped for throwing. These spots, may be of the same curvature as the ball, and colored, if desired; but the other construction is believed to be more advantageous, as they may be located in the dark, where colored spots would not be so easily discernible. In the center of the part 2 surrounded by these spots 3 is an opening having fitted therein a threaded nipple 4: adapted to receive a screw plug 5. The plug is provided with a knurled head whereby it may be removed and replaced when filling the ball with oil as indicated. This plug or sealing means maybe of any liquid-tight and not likely to be accidentally removed and allow the oil to escape. This plug has a certain'balancing action on the receptacle when placed in the water, as it desired style, provided it is will hold the ball in such a position as to allow the oil to flow out through one or more of the punctured openings, no matter how the ball floats, for when fullof oil the plug willbe at the top, when about half empty it will most probably be nearly on its side, and when empty or nearly so the weight of the plug will bring it down so as to drain all the oil out of the ball. The oil,being lighter than water, it will rise to the surface, and as the water fills the ball, it will force the oil out.

While this safety appliance is susceptible of many uses, perhaps the following illustration will best show its operation: In maklng rescues at sea 1t 1s customary for the rescuing boat to get to the leeward, if possible, in which case the life boat moves against the wind and sea, and is sheltered while loading, after reaching the vessel in distress, by its hull. The officer in charge of the life boat would be supplied with a case of these safety appliances and would.

have them broken at one or more spots and simultaneously thrown in advance of the boat, thereby smoothing the surface of the water, which would permit faster rowing and at the same time eliminate the broken crests of Waves which would otherwise fall into the boat. After making the rescue, and the boat returning loaded and lying well down in the Water, the oil may be .allowed to run from the filling-hole by unscrewing the plug, or from one or more of the devices from time to time, tied with a lanyard to the life-lines around the boat, and allowed to tow a'ster'n of the boat, thus leaving an oily wake which will prevent the waves from breaking over the stern and swamping the boat.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a simple and practical device which will be inexpensive to manufacture and reliable and eflicient in use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made, Without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be in terpreted as illustrative and not in a limitin-g sense.

I claim as my invention r V 1. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow receptacle of semi-resilient fibrous and non-metallic material adapted to contain oil and having small portions'capable of being located in the dark made of relatively thin material adapted to be broken by the thumb or fingers to allow the ,oil to escape gradually, and liquid tight means permitting the receptacle to be filled and sealed. I

2. A device of the character described, comprising a spherical receptacle having portions of its surfaces flattened and formed ofthin material adapted to be easily perforated, and means permitting the receptacle to be filled and sealed. I

8. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow receptacle adapted to contain oil, certain portions of the surface of said receptacle being thinner than the rest, said portions being suitably indicated, and means permitting said receptacle to be filled and sealed, said means being of such weight as to hold the receptacle in a predetermined position when placed in the water. y

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses,

WALTER STAFFORD.

IVitnesses P. A. BLAIR, FRED. GREENHAGEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents Washington, D. C. 

